1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a braking apparatus for use with an in-line skate and, more particularly, to a two-position adjustable brake arm.
2. Description of the Invention
In the field of in-line skates, it is known to provide a skate comprising a shoe composed of an upper quarter connected to a lower shell portion which is associated with a supporting frame having a plurality of wheels mounted therein. It is further known to provide a braking device for use with an in-line skate wherein the braking element is pivotally connected to the back end of the frame so that the braking element is positioned adjacent the rear wheel of the in-line skate (See FIG. 1). The braking device includes a braking arm which connects the braking element, secured to the lower frame of the skate, to the upper quarter of the skate. In this way, the braking device is activated when the skater pivots the upper quarter rearward to thus force the brake arm downward, which then pivots the braking element connected to the frame into contact with the ground to provide a frictional force to retard the motion of the skate. When the skater wishes to continue, the skater pivots the upper quarter back to the normal position and the brake arm moves upward to pivot the braking element out of contact with the ground and back to the normal skating position. Accordingly, in the normal skating position, the braking element which includes the brake pad is disposed slightly above the bottom of the skating wheels (ground level).
It is further known to provide an ABT brake adjustment with the braking device. Typically, an ABT brake adjustment consists of a rotatable adjustment member having an inner bore which receives a fixed bolt or screw so that rotation of the adjustment member moves the adjustment member and accordingly the braking element and brake pad up or down, depending on the direction of rotation. The use of the ABT brake adjustment permits a skater to set the braking element at a desired level above the ground. The ABT brake adjustment does not lend itself toward quick and easy lowering and raising of the brake. Typically, the ABT brake adjustment is useful to finely adjust the position of the brake as the brake pad wears down over the course of normal use. In this way, the ABT adjustment member adjusts the braking device downward to maintain a similar vertical displacement of the brake with respect to the ground.
One problem with the ABT brake adjustment is that it does not allow quick and easy lowering and raising of the brake with respect to the skate. For example, by positioning the brake lower to the ground, the skater is provided with more braking control and faster braking response in stopping the skate. If the skater is about to proceed down a hill, the skater may want to adjust the brake downward to provide additional braking control as the skater proceeds down the hill. The ABT brake adjustment does not allow for quick adjustment of the brake to a significantly lower position for such a situation and similarly does not provide fast and easy retraction of the brake back to the upper position after the skater has resumed normal skating. Rather, a skater would be forced to rotate the ABT member a significant amount to obtain noticeable movement of the brake in either direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,296 discloses a braking device which allows for deactivation of the braking element. The braking device includes two arms coupled to a threaded sleeve so that rotation of the threaded sleeve varies the position of the braking element with respect to the ground. Such a device, however, does not provide for quick adjustment of the braking element between an upper and lower position.
What is needed is a two-position quick adjustment braking apparatus which allows for quick and easy lowering and raising of the brake element with respect to the ground. What is further needed is a quick adjustment braking device which is easy for the user to switch from the normal upper position to the lower extended position and subsequently from the lower extended position back to the normal upper position.